Chemical bath deposition (CBD), a direct low cost technique that involves a cadmium salt solution, a complexing agent and a chalcogen source, was used to prepare CdSe semiconductor films. The most favourable conditions for acceptable quality CdSe films grown on glass were obtained. Commercially available microscope glass slides (with a size of 1 cm × 1 cm × 1 mm) were used as substrates to deposit CdSe films. CdSe films were deposited in a freshly prepared aqueous solution containing CdSO 4 (0.2 -0.4 M), NH 4 OH (3.8 -14 M) as a complexing agent for slow release of Cd 2+ ions, and Na 2 SeSO 3 (0.118 and 0.16) as a source of Se 2-ions. The solutions were prepared in deionized water. The glass slides were immersed in a mixture of CdSO 4 -NH 4 OH for 5 min before the solution of Na 2 SeSO 3 was added. The bath temperature varied from 20 to 60 °C. Structural and morphological quality of the films was analyzed by XRD, SEM, EDS, and XPS. The results show that the crystallinity of the CdSe films as-deposited is improved by increasing temperature. The initial growth stages of CdSe films at 20 and 60 °C start on CdO x and Cd(OH) 2 buffer layers respectively.